Hand In Hand
By Shotzette, Old Time Fan and Missy

Episode Twenty-One
By Missy

Thank You To Chesh For Tireless Hours of Betaing!
"...Big dope!"

"He was kissin' you!"

Carmine blinked himself awake, aware of the pain in his head. In silence, he watched his friends fight.

"Len, I kissed Carmine twice in my whole life. TWICE. How many times have I kissed you?!"

"I dunno; how many times did you kiss any of your other boyfriends!"

She clenched her hands into fists, tossing herself down onto a chair. "You're INSANE!!"

"Ya knew that when I married you!"

Carmine smiled woozily. "She's right, Laverne."

Lenny glared at his best friend, saying nothing as Laverne helped him to his feet.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

Carmine shrugged, placing a hand gingerly over his rapidly blackening eye. "Been way worse." Lenny's menacing scowl caused him to shrink backward. "Len, it ain't what you think, okay? I don't feel anything for Laverne; the two of us decided that a long time ago."

"DECIDED?!" Lenny frowned.

"Yeah. Look, would I have gone through all of this garbage with Shirley if I really, secretly wanted to be with Laverne?"

Reason descended in a cool cloud over Lenny. He had the decency to blush in embarrassment. "I ain't thinkin', okay? I thought that the two of you...ya know...dated?"

Carmine shook his head. "We had dinner together. It was bad. That was all."

Lenny heaved a gigantic sigh. "Vernie, I'm sorry."

Laverne rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're sorry, sure you are..."

His jaw trembled. "You know why I did it." He threw his hands into the air. "I'm a stupid jerk, okay?"

She wrapped her arms around him. "You aren't."

"What were you guys hugging about?"

Carmine's expression because suave. "I was just telling Laverne that I have an opening in my band."

Lenny's face turned pale. "You were gonna offer me a job?"

"That's about right."

He gently released Laverne. "I'm sorry, Carmine; we're good friends. GREAT friends. But I ain't gonna take your charity."

"Len!" Laverne hissed. "Whatt're you?! Crazy?!"

"Vernie." He kissed her forehead. "Ya gotta understand. I wanna make my own way. Be a stand-up guy, like..." he winced. "Your pop."

"I wouldn't mind that."

"Good. Then you know why I'm gonna move out."

She stared at him in disbelief. "You wanna divorce?!"

"Vernie, no!" He kissed her, "ut until I'm a man...until I can stand on my own feet....I don't deserve to call myself your husband."

Carmine bit his lower lip; it sounded, to him, too much like his own declaration a year ago."

"Where're you gonna go?"

"Don't laugh; Rosie said I can sleep on her and Shirley's couch."

Her expression was bemused. "You wanna sleep on Rosie's couch?"

"No. I think it'll help me get a job faster." He held her tighter. "We'll see each other every day. But I gotta make a good living for you."

She held him all the more tightly. "You don't have to do anything for me." But she knew he would go. And she was, somehow, afraid to let him go.

***

Two Months later

"Welcome to Burger World. Can I take yer order, please?"

The assistant manager gave Lenny an approving look as he typed in the customer's order. He covered up his smile; the little twerp had no clue why he was so crisp, so efficient, so happy today. He had no clue that he was going to turn in his mustard-colored uniform at the end of the day.

He had absolutely no clue that Lenny Kosnowski was about to quit his job.

Lenny remembered how happy the fire department had been with his try-out. It was the least he could do in the memory of Randy Carpenter, and even Sonny. Even though he was just a reservist, and his pay would not equal Laverne's, the benefits were stellar. Enough for him to put away a nest egg toward his true dream.

He laughed to himself; the same day the Local CFD had accepted him into the brotherhood, he had nailed an audition at Club Halloween for a house rhythm guitarist. He had studied the schedule; nothing conflicted, and adding both jobs together gave him a steady source of income, at least half of his nights home with Laverne, and dental. He hadn't ever had dental at any of his jobs. It was so much better than what he was making here.

Laverne. The two of them had been living off of love notes and phone calls. He wouldn't let her see him at Rosie and Shirley's, causing yet more conflict between the women. He hadn't touched her for a month.

He couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face at the memory of Laverne's birthday...climbing in through her window and making love to her like a wild teenager. She had definitely known who he was, at least from the way she cried his name at the end...

The radio crackled to life, and he sighed, leaning against the counter. "Burger World; what can I get ya?"

"My husband back."

He stared at the speaker in disbelief. "Vernie?" He leaned out of the window, recognizing his broken-down car. She opened it. "Can you talk?"

He squirmed out of his booth, landing on the ground to shouts of "Kosnowski!"

"I quit!" He shouted over his shoulder, meeting Laverne halfway with an embrace.

"Couldn't take it anymore..." She said, holding him as tightly as she could manage. "I had to see you."

He frowned at his uniform. "I really didn't want ya to see this. I ain't even the head burger guy or anything."

She nuzzled his shoulder. "I don't care if you're not the head burger guy. I just want you back!"

He straightened his shoulders, smiling brightly. "Good, cause I got something to tell you."

"Really?" She laughed. "Me too."

"You go first."

"Naw, you!"

"Why don't we do it together?"

His 'I got a job' meshed perfectly with her 'I'm pregnant.'

Fin





To Chapter 20

On To Chapter 22











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